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# Administration Weighs White House Aide for FDA Top Post
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/administration-weighs-white-house-aide-for-fda-top-post/
- Published: 2026-06-24T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T13:41:52.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5161362

The Trump Administration is considering White House health policy adviser **Heidi Overton** as a leading candidate to become the next FDA commissioner, according to [Bloomberg reporting](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-administration-eyes-white-house-aide-for-top-fda-post/ar-AA26nhMq?ref=fdaweb.com) that cited people familiar with the selection process. No final decision has been made, and administration officials continue to evaluate candidates for the position. White House officials declined to confirm reports regarding potential nominees. “Unless officially announced by the White House, any reporting about personnel nominations should be considered baseless hearsay,” White House spokesman **Kush Desai** said in a statement.

Overton currently serves as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy, where she advises on health-related initiatives. She has appeared alongside president **Donald Trump** during announcements involving drug pricing policies and efforts to expand access to psychedelic-based therapies.

A physician by training, Overton previously worked at the America First Policy Institute and holds a doctorate in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins University. She also served as a White House fellow during Trump's first administration.

The search for a permanent FDA commissioner follows months of leadership upheaval at the agency. Former commissioner **Marty Makary** resigned in May after a tenure marked by internal disputes and criticism from segments of the biotechnology industry. His departure was followed by additional exits among senior FDA officials.

The high-level upheaval at FDA has led to regulatory uncertainty in regulated companies. “Many of the initiatives that defined the Makary era were never enshrined in formal rules or guidance, but rather were announced by press release, podcast, or at public events,” a Skadden [law post](https://www.fdaweb.com/fda-leadership-upheaval-yields-uncertainty-post/) says. “With their principal champions now gone, FDA-regulated companies are asking what will happen to these programs, as well as what the overall tenor of the agency will be under new leadership.”

Former commissioner **Scott Gottlieb** has called for a return to FDA's traditional model in which career experts lead scientific review activities while political leadership focuses on broader regulatory policy. Gottlieb argued that leadership at FDA's drug and biologics review centers should remain in the hands of experienced scientific and clinical experts rather than political appointees. While elected officials and administration leaders should set broad policy priorities, he said regulatory decisions involving individual products must remain grounded in scientific judgment to preserve public trust and regulatory credibility ([see story](https://www.fdaweb.com/ex-fda-head-gottlieb-warns-on-politicization-threatening-scientific-credibility/)).